Doctors have saved a man from a potentially life-threatening stroke after they discovered damage in his brain's left hemisphere.
Manokurian Mathew, 40, visited Zulekha Hospital Dubai thinking he had a simple case of sinusitis.
After complaining about difficulty sleeping and headaches, he mentioned to the doctor that he was becoming very forgetful. Concerned about the memory loss, the doctor recommended imaging the brain.
I was just assuming it could be only sinusitis or migraine. If the infarctions were unidentified, my career and entire life would have been in danger
The results revealed two areas in the left hemisphere had been severely damaged by lack of blood flow.
Brain strokes are common in smokers, those with unidentified diabetes, hypertension and people with high cholesterol.
In Mr Mathew's case, the left internal carotid artery supplying blood to the brain had narrowed by 70 per cent due to excessive cholesterol deposits.
Diabetes and lifestyle choices placed Mr Mathew in the high risk category for strokes.
“Being a diabetic and a smoker has increased his risk of these infarctions," said Dr Shyam Babu Chandran, consultant neurologist.
Mr Mathew had assumed bouts of weakness in the right arm were a symptom of exhaustion and poor sleep posture.
The feeling of weakness had gone away after a few hours on both occasions, so he had not taken the episodes seriously.
"The two instances of right hand numbness he experienced were a result of the repeated internal clotting that probably has formed and migrated from the left carotid plaque and impacted the nervous system," said Dr Shyam.
"In such cases it is very important to thoroughly evaluate and plan potential treatment to prevent future high-risk strokes.”
With the issue identified, Mr Mathews was scheduled for a procedure called CAS (carotid angioplasty and stenting).
"The two-hour procedure was done through a minimally invasive puncture in the femoral artery," Dr Shyam said.
"Closely monitoring the patient after the procedure is very critical as there are chances of a sudden rush of blood through the cleared arteries that could cause a sudden stroke in the form of bleeding in addition to slowing of heart rate and low blood pressure."
The team of doctors successfully performed the operation and lowered Mr Mathew's risk of stroke.
He was discharged the next day.
"It is great that Dr Shyam was able to diagnose the hidden danger in the left carotid artery and treat me correctly in time," said Mr Mathew.
"I was just assuming it could be only sinusitis or migraine. If the infarctions were not identified, my career and entire life would have been in danger.
"This is important and I would advise anyone who has any unusual symptoms to immediately get yourself checked by a professional.”
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• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
